Dwarf Fortress Wiki - User contributions [en]

40d:Shell

2007-12-19T16:57:18Z

Worthstream: linebreaks

A '''Shell''' is what is left behind when a dwarf eat a [[fish cleaner | prepared]] but not [[Kitchen | cooked]] [[turtle]] or [[cave lobster]].

Cooking those fishes does not leave behind bone nor shell, so you may want to order dwarves not to use them in cooking. You can do that from the Kitchen menu ( {{key|z}} ).

These shells are automatically [[refuse]], but despite that they can be worked by a [[bone carver]] into [[armor]], [[crafts]] or [[bolt]]s.

40d:Shell

2007-12-19T16:55:42Z

Worthstream: adding details

A '''Shell''' is what is left behind when a dwarf eat a [[fish cleaner | prepared]] but not [[Kitchen | cooked]] [[turtle]] or [[cave lobster]].
Cooking those fishes does not leave behind bone nor shell, so you may want to order dwarves not to use them in cooking. You can do that from the Kitchen menu ( {{key|z}} ).
These shells are automatically [[refuse]], but despite that they can be worked by a [[bone carver]] into [[armor]], [[crafts]] or [[bolt]]s.

40d:Shell

2007-12-19T08:56:02Z

Worthstream: wikilinking

A '''Shell''' is what is left behind after eating certain [[creatures]] that have them, such as [[turtle | turtles]]. These shells are automatically [[refuse]], but despite that they can be worked by a [[bone carver]] into [[armor]], [[crafts]] or [[bolt | bolts]].

40d:Fortress defense

2007-12-18T11:16:07Z

Worthstream: /* Siege weapons */ Armies have been fixed :)

=Entrance traps=

==Flooded Entrance==

Using a chamber as your entrance alongside a chamber full of water and some machinery you can flood or drain the entrance at will.

The basic premise requires two levers, two screw pumps and two gear assemblies. The amount of power required and the number of additional components needed to get the power to the screw pumps varies depending on distance/setup. One pump is placed to draw from chamber 1 and dump into chamber 2. The other is set in reverse. A gear assembly is placed next to each pump and connected to the main power system. Each gear is linked to a lever. Now at the flip of a switch you can submerge your entrance with water or magma for easy, secure defense against creatures that aren't amphibious or magma-dwelling, depending.

[[Image:Entflood.jpg]]

The picture above shows the design in action. The green pump is currently on while the red has been disconnected through the grey marked axle. The yellow X is just to mark that there is a channel under the axle.

=Mechanical traps=

=Siege weapons=

One effective way to have seige weapons defend your fortress is:

*<tt>.</tt> - floor
*<tt>#</tt> - wall
*<tt>s</tt> - ballista
*<tt>></tt> - Stair
*<tt> </tt> - channel

<pre>
###########################sss
Entrance...............> sss...sss
Entrance...............> sssssssss
Entrance...............> ssssss...
########################sss###
</pre>

Using this design you can cripple an army using a well timed volley.

[[Siege engine]]

[[Category:World]]
[[Category:Fortress Defense]]
[[Category:Buildings]]
[[Category:Stub]]

40d:Losing

2007-12-18T11:13:06Z

Worthstream: /* Flooding accidents */ That has been fixed AFAIK

<span style="background-color: #000; color: #0f0; font-family: FixedSys, monospace">Losing is fun!</span>

Most new players will lose their first few forts; if you lose a fortress, don't feel like you don't understand the game. Dwarf Fortress has a steep learning curve, and part of the appeal is discovering things for yourself. However, this Wiki serves as an excellent place to speed up the learning process.

== Autopsy ==

Various things can cause you to lose a fortress.

=== Losing your miners ===

If your [[miner]]s are killed in a collapse and their equipment destroyed, chances are good that you will no longer be able to continue your efforts. Consider abandoning your fortress. Alternatively, you can try to keep your fortress running long enough to request additional picks from your Outpost Liaison, who will arrive with the next dwarven trade [[caravan]]. It will take another year before they will return.<br/>
Also consider the tedious but fun option of making buildings outside! If your woodcutter(s) with axe(s) are still available, then you can build structures of wood. This is not recommended for very new players though, as it is intensly resource-demanding and takes alot of managing to get right. (Also not recommended if you don't understand the z-axis system yet.)

=== Starvation ===

A serious danger, generally in the more inhospitable climates, is the loss of your dwarves due to starvation; if you are in the heart of a mountain with no soil to build on, it is possible you will not be able to establish farms. As dwarves begin to starve, they will become Hungry, then Starving. This will cause them to become very angry. When they die, their friends will become upset and will become even angrier, potentially causing the remainder of your fortress to break out in a terminal brawl.

Don't forget your alternative sources of [[food]]. Try [[butchering]] your animals, [[plant gathering|gathering plants]], or resorting to [[hunting]] of local wildlife.

===Dehydration===

One of the biggest problems with a fortress that has no [[brook]], [[stream]], [[river]], or other source of fresh [[water]]. Water must be rapidly gathered from stagnant pools and stored into an indoor basin or water tower, with sufficient depth before it [[evaporate]]s. If this fails, all of the water on the map will evaporate and your dwarves will be left without any water.

[[Brewing]] can alleviate these problems, but in the future brewing will also require water.

===Flooding accidents===

The opposite side of the dehydration spectrum is having too ''much'' water. Remember that water can [[flow]] in (probably) all 26 directions. It is also worth remembering that, unlike water, magma (probably) does not flow up like water in the current version. This is expected to change later when Magma is programmed to follow the same type of flow physics as Water.

If your fortress is beginning to flood from [[sourced water]], abandon all of the levels the water can reach immediately—drafting dwarves into the [[military]] and stationing them onto the surface if need be. You will never be able to recover those areas unless you can manage to pump out the water faster than it floods in, which can take over a year or two of game time to establish a functioning automated pump system. Generally, a flooding accident spells doom for your fortress.

===Invasion===

The [[goblin]]s first come with about a dozen soldiers to [[siege]] your fort. Then they come again with about two dozen. Then three. Soon enough your [[trap]]s are all sprung, your [[door]]s beaten down, and your dwarves are dead. Without some simple [[Fortress defense|defense]]s, such as a [[moat]], a horde of goblins on your doorstep can be deadly. Sieges by goblins and presumably other civilizations have now been fixed {{version|v0.27.169.33f and up}}, so early defensive fortress planning is required.

===Volcanic Death===

Toady has stated that in the future volcanoes will be much less stable and much more deadly.